Vienna Café Wine and Bar

Reviews

Name: Vicky Goldstein
Occupation: Consultant
Lives In: Coral Springs
Restaurant Pick: Vienna Café and Wine Bar
Reviewed Vienna Café and Wine Bar: 9/12/12, at 7:30 pm

Called restaurant at 6:45 pm to see if we needed a reservation. The host said no but he would put our name in anyway so we would not have to wait. Told him we would be there in ½ hour. When we arrived, the parking lot was full. As it is in a shopping center we easily found parking a few steps outside the immediate restaurant area. We walked in and found out there was 5 course dinner with wine pairing that night. We got a bit nervous about that but it did not effect our experience at all. They staffed properly so we didn’t experience any delay or error in our meal.

Our waitress arrived with menus and asked us for drink order. She also tried to sell us the new purified water available from their system. We ordered it and it was great. Only $1 up charge which was reasonable. We asked about specials and menu questions. We decided on appetizers, pork belly and mussels. She left and returned with the wine and some bread. We went to order but she taped my arm and warmly said, “Give me a moment, I’ll be right back” Then she left for a very long time. At least 20 minutes. We could see her handling about 5 other tables across the restaurant. She was really hustling, so we wondered why the host sat us so far away from her main customers. We also noted a table of 6 came in after us, sat next to us and they were on appetizers by this point. Their server had only their table. We thought the host should have had the other waitress, clearly not too busy, handle us. We just sat during that time with our menus and waited. The room was candlelit and very warm and cozy, enjoyed the atmosphere and wine bottles on shelves inspired conversation about favorite wines and regions.

Finally, our waitress came back over rushing up with our appetizers, very frazzled. We still had these huge menus so it was a few awkward moments of juggling to make room for food. Finally served, I did mention I felt she was gone too long, not happy with her handling of us. Having appetizers served and not ordering entrée I thought our pace would be really bad, but I have to say from this point on she really went out of her way to be warm, helpful and provide excellent service. She took our order and left again. But she was back in about 5 minutes updating us, filling our water glasses and offered to comp us a dessert for our delay.

Dinner arrived within 15 minutes, exactly as ordered. My husband happened to be in Men’s room at time of delivery, so I asked runner to take it to kitchen to keep it warm. When a random manager saw me sending it away, she immediately came over to see if it was a problem. I assured her it wasn’t. She was determined to make sure everything was okay with our table, so I assumed the waitress getting approval for the free desert alerted her to our initial problem. Food was hot and very flavorful. Our server offered me another glass of wine and gave us fresh silverware. I noted that although still busy she would glance over at us to assess where we were throughout our meal. I really appreciated that awareness. She came back with the dessert tray, explaining each dessert preparation. She offered to make fresh coffee and served dessert promptly. She brought the bill and showed where dessert had been added and removed. She took time to apologize again and say she hoped we would come back. We paid and left.

Overall, I really enjoyed my evening. It was a bit rocky at first, but I felt they exceeded my expectations of service in recovering from the initial lapse. The food was creative and composed well, deliciously flavored and portions were generous. A very good value for 3 courses and a glass of wine, a bit over $100.

Name: Elizabeth G. Daugherty
Occupation: Family Lawyer and mediator
Lives In: Fort Lauderdale
Restaurant Pick: Bonefish Mac’s
Reviewed Vienna Café and Wine Bar: 9/7/12 at 7pm

I wouldn’t give up on this restaurant. I think it is better than our visit indicated. The service was poor and the entrees were served barely warm. This was just inexcusable. The owner walked around, sort of scowling and never said hello to anyone. I asked out waiter who that was pacing around. He said it was the owner. This was very strange. I felt like he was the proctor for a college exam.

Great parking, easy location to find. The restaurant is lovely, like an old world dining room filled with art. Initially the service was attentive, but a bit overboard friendly, and then it went totally south. The quality of the food is good and I believe a great value, but the food just couldn’t shine through the poor service and cold presentation. I think the restaurant is better than our visit indicated. I would try it again, but NEVER on a night when they have music. I can’t believe the owner didn’t realize the place emptied out once the musician began. We didn’t go there for a show. We went for good food and conversation with our friends, which was impossible after the music started. We wanted to love this place, but just didn’t.

Name: Alex Dominguez
Occupation: Governmental Affairs Coordinator 
Lives In: Miami Beach
Restaurant Pick: Sparky's Roadside Barbecue
Reviewed Vienna Café and Wine Bar: 9/14/12 at 9:00pm

Visited the restaurant for dinner on a Friday. Given some construction in the area, it took some care to find. The restaurant is located in a strip mall and is a converted old standalone drive through restaurant. We walked right in and were quickly greeted by the hostess who is standing behind a large wooden hostess station.

We were immediately led past the main dining room on the left and the small bar on the right and seated in smaller dining room near the back that had access to the terrace outside. The main part of the restaurant was dark and quaint and decorated with miscellaneous Bavarian items. The area we were in was similarly decorated and had a large group, a table of 4 and another table 2. The main dining room still seemed livelier. Our server came over quickly and offered a special sparkling water they were featuring – we opt for regular water. I noticed immediately, over my wife’s head, several ceiling tiles that had old water stains. I looked around and they were spots throughout the room that had stains. Unfortunately, this was quickly disappointing. First, is there an alternate to ceiling tiles for modern restaurants? Second, does it cost that much to replace them? We reviewed the menu and agreed on the Danish meatballs as a starter and chose to order after having them. I wasn’t in the mood for wine so I ordered my go to drink, a jack and coke. It was small. Before the meatballs came out, the server brought over a large basket of bread. It included a crispy flatbread, French style white, and grain bread. The meatball dish included three meatballs and two slices of heartier multigrain bread and pickled cucumbers. The meatballs were well-seasoned and tender. They could have been warmer. Thinking about it later, I was hesitant to say it was micro waved but it just didn’t have the temperature of a meatball that was just fried. My wife ordered the Not A Pizza for dinner and added prosciutto. I ordered the filet of beef stroganoff, half order. The stroganoff was large. The full order must be HUGE. All the elements as described worked perfectly; mushrooms; truffle butter; beef. This was a delicious item and must be a favorite here. The filet was soft and melt in your mouth. I was enjoying this so much I forgot to ask my wife for a taste of her Not A Pizza. Needless to say, I finished it.

After the server brought over a dessert tray which featured 5-7 desserts; we opted for the peach cobbler which came with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream. The peach cobbler had a good crust and was large. We finished that as well. I ordered an espresso that didn’t come with a sugar packet but with candied crystallized sugar on a stick. I’ve never seen that. I stirred it in and the sugar eventually melted in the espresso but I never got it perfect. I would’ve asked the server for a sugar packet but she was missing for a few minutes and I didn’t want the espresso to cool. We asked for the bill and expected what we saw, $73.14, but were still disappointed.

Our service was OK. The atmosphere was OK. We order only one entrée (It was delicious). Had we ordered wine and an additional entrée, our bill would have topped $100. Given the old ceiling tiles, and the location that is reminiscent to an Olive Garden, it wasn’t worth it. The only thing that would bring me back to Vienna Café would be the beef stroganoff. Over all this experience was hit and miss with the entrée I ordered being a big hit. I would recommend this restaurant as a lunch spot for someone working or living in the area.

Restaurant Information

Location: 9100 W State Road 84 Davie, Fl 33324
Parking: Yes 
Phone: (954) 423-1961
Website:www.viennawinebar.com
Restaurant Owners: Per Jacobsen 
Executive Chef: Courtney Burks
Pastry Chef: N/A

Type of Cuisine: American
Signature Dishes: Vienna Schnitzel, Schnitzel Stroganoff 
Vegetarian Options: yes
Alcohol Served: yes
Corkage Fee: $15.00
Bottle Limit: no

Restaurant Hours:
Monday –11:30 am– 9 pm
Tuesday – 11:30 am– 9 pm
Wednesday – 11:30 am– 9 pm
Thursday – 11:30am – 9 pm
Friday – 11:30am– 10 pm also 10 pm to 12 am limited menu
Saturday – 9:30 am – 10 pm also 10 pm to 12 am limited menu
Sunday – 9:30 am – 9 pm

Meals Served: Lunch andDinner
Prix Fix Menu: N/A
Take-Out: Yes
Delivery: No
Average Dinner Price Range (per person, full meal, tax, 15% gratuity, w/o alcohol): $30.00
Average Lunch Price Range (per person, full meal, tax, 15% gratuity, w/o alcohol): $20
Payment Options: do you accept credit cards and if so, which ones? yes

Accept Reservations: Yes
Need Reservations: recommend
How far in advance do you require reservations be made: one day or two

Accommodations for Children: Yes
Dining Style: Semiformal, casual
Disabled Access: Yes
Restaurant Size: seats 100 people
Accommodate Groups: yes 
Private Dining Room: Yes
Tables with Scenic Views: No
Outdoor Dining: Yes
Entertainment: Friday and Saturday - Live entertainment